Abstract Introduction to the topic Formal commitments by the private sector and governments on zero net deforestation have increased since the 2014 New York Declaration on Forests. Majority of companies with commitments are manufacturers and retailers located in developed countries, while those operating upstream of supply chains and in developing countries still lag behind. Recent scientific studies single out livestock as the largest driver for tropical deforestation followed by soy, palm oil and timber production. Despite the significant impact and several multiparty initiatives, the sector still lags behind in terms of commitments and policies towards deforestation free production. The situation is especially dare in Brazil, the biggest cattle producer country in the world, with constant conflict and diverse interests over forest resources. As the result of exploiting by product of meat production, the leather industry is indirectly linked to land use changes on the ground. Recently, leather was identified as deforestation risk commodity by several NGO reports. The industry is facing significant customer and civil society pressure to establish full traceability of the supply chain and to ensure consumers deforestation free products. Being an European market leader, Italian leather industry is also the biggest European importer of raw bovine hides and skins from Brazil. The objective of the paper is to explore deforestation responsibilities and potentialities in green marketing of the Italian leather and meat industries with reference to the Brazilian context. Description of data and research methodology Using the content analysis method, analysing publicly available information, documents and company reports and through data collection with experts’ interviews, this study reveals that there is a significant lack of awareness regarding the issue of deforestation and its link to leather industry among Italian tanneries and meat industry and in general public. Although deforestation was revealed as an important concern during personal communication and interviews, there is a significant lack of consistent public communication of the issue. Discussion of theoretical and/or empirical results Given the market value of the Italian leather and its global image, the industry has the power to transform markets. However, it faces several challenges on the way such as lack of awareness, negotiation power and complexity of supply chains. This is further exacerbated by inherent challenges of implementing zero deforestation commitments in general. Based on already existing public-private initiatives in related sectors, this study concludes by suggesting further directions to address the issue of deforestation by the leather industry. Paper’s potential for generating discussion during the conference The topic of the paper is of some interest in highlighting the need for a new approach in the evaluation of the impacts of industries not directly involved in wood working on the processes of forest degradation and deforestation. Analysing the impact of production and consumption of meat and leather on embedded forest degradation and deforestation gives a new perspective for the evaluation of North-South trade.

“Embedded” deforestation and forest degradation: exploring responsibilities and potentialities in green marketing of the Italian leather industry

MAMMADOVA, AYNUR;MASIERO, MAURO;PETTENELLA, DAVIDE MATTEO
2017

Abstract

Abstract Introduction to the topic Formal commitments by the private sector and governments on zero net deforestation have increased since the 2014 New York Declaration on Forests. Majority of companies with commitments are manufacturers and retailers located in developed countries, while those operating upstream of supply chains and in developing countries still lag behind. Recent scientific studies single out livestock as the largest driver for tropical deforestation followed by soy, palm oil and timber production. Despite the significant impact and several multiparty initiatives, the sector still lags behind in terms of commitments and policies towards deforestation free production. The situation is especially dare in Brazil, the biggest cattle producer country in the world, with constant conflict and diverse interests over forest resources. As the result of exploiting by product of meat production, the leather industry is indirectly linked to land use changes on the ground. Recently, leather was identified as deforestation risk commodity by several NGO reports. The industry is facing significant customer and civil society pressure to establish full traceability of the supply chain and to ensure consumers deforestation free products. Being an European market leader, Italian leather industry is also the biggest European importer of raw bovine hides and skins from Brazil. The objective of the paper is to explore deforestation responsibilities and potentialities in green marketing of the Italian leather and meat industries with reference to the Brazilian context. Description of data and research methodology Using the content analysis method, analysing publicly available information, documents and company reports and through data collection with experts’ interviews, this study reveals that there is a significant lack of awareness regarding the issue of deforestation and its link to leather industry among Italian tanneries and meat industry and in general public. Although deforestation was revealed as an important concern during personal communication and interviews, there is a significant lack of consistent public communication of the issue. Discussion of theoretical and/or empirical results Given the market value of the Italian leather and its global image, the industry has the power to transform markets. However, it faces several challenges on the way such as lack of awareness, negotiation power and complexity of supply chains. This is further exacerbated by inherent challenges of implementing zero deforestation commitments in general. Based on already existing public-private initiatives in related sectors, this study concludes by suggesting further directions to address the issue of deforestation by the leather industry. Paper’s potential for generating discussion during the conference The topic of the paper is of some interest in highlighting the need for a new approach in the evaluation of the impacts of industries not directly involved in wood working on the processes of forest degradation and deforestation. Analysing the impact of production and consumption of meat and leather on embedded forest degradation and deforestation gives a new perspective for the evaluation of North-South trade.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11577/3240511
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